Qualiopi decree of 1 August 2026: the 33-indicator framework is officially published

It is now official: decree n° 2026-728 of 1 August 2026, on the national framework for the quality of skills-development actions, was published in the Journal Officiel on 4 August 2026. On 31 July we reported on the future indicator 33 for apprenticeship and, on 4 August, on the expected strengthening of indicators 12, 14 and 15 based on a draft that was not yet signed. It is now confirmed, with a few additional details below.

What the text officially confirms

The National Quality Framework (RNQ), previously set by decree n° 2019-565 of 6 June 2019, moves from 32 to 33 indicators spread across the same seven criteria, without renumbering existing indicators. Three points are now settled in writing:

• Entry into force on 1 November 2026: surveillance and renewal audits scheduled from that date onward will be assessed against the new framework;
• A compliance window of roughly three months, between the 4 August publication and the 1 November entry into force, to adjust procedures and evidence;
• Systematic verification of the new requirements by auditors from that date, with no announced tolerance period beyond it.

The current guide to reading the Qualiopi framework remains the reference until 1 November; after that date, the version resulting from this decree governs.

Indicator 33, apprenticeship-only: confirmed with no major surprise

The new indicator 33 largely matches what specialist trade press reported in late July: an arrangement for evaluating course content and teaching by apprentices themselves, distinct from the general appreciation-gathering of indicator 30. Results must be shared with teaching teams and feed the continuous improvement approach already required elsewhere. As announced, this indicator only applies to CFAs and providers running apprenticeship training actions: a standard continuing-training provider has nothing new to produce on this front.

Indicators 12, 14 and 15: the real shift, for every provider

This is the broadest part of the text, and it is not limited to apprenticeship. Indicator 12, on beneficiary engagement and dropout prevention, now requires a documented procedure to handle any situation of violence, harassment or discrimination reported by a beneficiary — across every category of action: continuing training, apprenticeship, VAE, skills assessment. A general anti-harassment clause in the internal rules is no longer enough: providers need an identifiable reporting channel with a named contact person.

Indicators 14 and 15, specific to CFAs, go further:

• Indicator 14: a procedure for the “immediate” handling of terminations linked to difficulties, violence or discrimination suffered by the apprentice, whether in training or at the host company;
• Indicator 15: reinforced information for minor apprentices about their rights, systematic communication of the apprenticeship mediator’s contact details, and a reporting channel for malfunctions to the labour inspectorate.

This requirement for fast, documented handling of terminations echoes a finding already well established in education research: a Danish study by Andersen, Rod, Holmberg et al., published in 2018 in BMC Psychology, on a dropout-prevention arrangement in vocational upper-secondary schools (10,190 students followed over two years), shows that a structured, school-level intervention — rather than one-off individual meetings — significantly reduces dropout (see the study on Google Scholar). On the harassment and violence side, a systematic review by Diez-Canseco, Toyama, Hidalgo-Padilla and Bird, published in 2022 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, finds that a prevention policy is genuinely effective only when paired with a clear reporting channel and fast handling of reported situations — exactly the logic behind the new indicators 12 and 14 (see the study on Google Scholar).

Other changes worth noting

Beyond apprenticeship and violence prevention, the decree adjusts several cross-cutting points of the framework that apply to every certified provider:

• Fair, accurate communication: information published on success rates, career outcomes or course arrangements must be verifiable and not misleading, echoing existing requirements on customer reviews;
• Effective monitoring of distance learning: stronger traceability of attendance and support in distance training (FOAD);
• Subcontractor traceability: tighter formalisation of subcontracting contracts and clauses;
• Risk analysis: a more explicit link to the provider’s occupational risk assessment document.

Timeline: what to do before 1 November 2026

Three months is short but enough if the topic is handled methodically:

1. Formalise a reporting channel for violence, harassment and discrimination, with a named contact person and a one-page written procedure;
2. CFAs only: build the tool for apprentices to evaluate teaching (indicator 33), and check the channel for informing minors and communicating the apprenticeship mediator’s contact details (indicator 15);
3. Verify the accuracy of any figures and claims published on your website and sales materials;
4. Update evidence on distance-learning monitoring, subcontracting contracts and the occupational risk assessment document;
5. Document every adjustment in your corrective action plan, ahead of a surveillance audit scheduled after 1 November.

If you already have a non-conformity in hand, our article on the corrective action plan details how to document and close it before the next audit.

Take action

The Complete Kit Certif (€297, 14-day guarantee) includes updated evidence templates and procedures to get ahead of the 1 November 2026 entry into force, including the reporting channels expected under indicators 12, 14 and 15. Launching your training organisation or CFA? The ebook “Create your training organisation in 30 days” (€67) lays the administrative foundations from day one, and the full pack (€347) bundles both resources. Browse all our blog articles to keep up with implementing texts as they are published.